1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power interrupting apparatus and a power transmitting apparatus.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,281 discloses a split axle drive mechanism. In this split axle drive mechanism, a clutch is provided between a stub shaft protruding out of a differential gear case of a front differential device and an extension shaft extending toward the axle.
An actuator for actuating the clutch is provided outside of a carrier for rotatably supporting the differential gear case and is configured to operate the clutch via a rod and a fork. Accordingly, a clutch ring is moved by an actuation of the actuator to cause the clutch to be connected. Thereby, a power transmission between the stub shaft and the extension shaft is carried out and therefore a four-wheeled driving (4WD) can be allowed.
When the actuator stops operating, the clutch is cut-off by a return movement of the clutch ring and therefore a two-wheeled driving (2WD) can be allowed.
However, since the actuator is provided outside of the carrier, the carrier is designed for a dedicated application. Accordingly, there is a problem that a compatibility with a standardized product which has no clutch is hindered.
In addition, since the actuator is provided outside of the carrier, a collision with an obstacle may be occurred and thus reliability is decreased. Moreover, an occupying space of the actuator outside of the carrier is also increased.